1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to computer management software, and more particularly to template-based file selection techniques providing remote/local file selection for modular backup and migration.
2. Description of Related Art
Application and operating system backup and migration tools, as well as other tools such as synchronization mechanisms provide file selection interfaces for selecting sets of files and configuration entries for backup, restore, synchronization, deployment and migration of applications and system components. On a workstation level, a user or administrator typically selects or de-selects directory tree levels and/or individual files to include in a backup, migration or synchronization session. The configuration is typically saved at the location of the backup program, whether located at a central local-area network backup point, or on the individual workstation. More recent systems have the ability to backup/migrate configuration information such as configuration files and registry entries. Upon restore, backup algorithms generally offer the option to deselect files that are contained in a backup, so that some files contained on the back are not over-written.
Applications generally have large numbers of files and configuration entries that make it difficult for a user or administrator to select just the files associated with an application. Further, the particular files and the names of files associated with an application typically varies from version to version of an application. It would be desirable for an administrator or end user to easily select files associated with an application, in order to accomplish the above-listed tasks without having to generate a list of files themselves, which in some cases is a tedious and time-consuming task requiring a high level of skill and often a large amount of trial-and-error or sophisticated analysis. Further, the typical backup or system configuration strategy is either controlled by an administrator or the local user, but not both, even though it would be desirable to provide end-user controlled file selection while receiving some automatic protection and assistance from the administrative level.
Further, present administrative backup and deployment systems typically have a uniform behavior with respect to workstation backup and deployment of software, while differing geographical or user needs may dictate differences requiring adjustment for individual workstations or users. Also, depending on the destination of a backup, certain files may be desirable for backup, while other may not be, such as when a large number or large-sized personal files of a user are present on a system and backup is not needed for ensuring continuity of business operations. In such circumstances, it would be desirable to provide the user a flexible and friendly backup environment, while ensuring that such files do not waste valuable server resources.